Abstract

1. The Effect of Nicotine, Caffeine and Diphenhydramine (antihistamine) on Lumbriculus variegatus Kara Somers, Biology Department, University of Wisconsin-River Falls Results All three of the drugs had an effect on the Lumbriculus variegatus activity level. The nicotine solution had a paralyzing effect. When first placed into the solution they had extreme activity. At the five, ten and fifteen minute mark they were no longer moving. The caffeine solution had an excitement effect. The worms showed extreme activity for the whole fifteen minutes in the solution. The diphenhydramine (antihistamine) solution had a poisoning effect. When first placed in the solution they had extreme activity, however as time passed there was no movement. The body movements were noted as well. When the worms were place into the nicotine solution their body would twitch and flip around. At the five, ten and fifteen minute mark they were stretched out and floating. When checked after 24 hours they were completely recovered. When the worms were place into the caffeine solution they also were twitching and flipping around. At the five, ten and fifteen minute mark they were actively swimming and trying to clump. They were completely after fifteen minutes in their normal water. The worms placed into the diphenhydramine solution showed twitching, tail curling and flipping around when first placed in the solution. They showed no movement after that. When placed into the normal recovery water they did not recover and died. The Kruskal-Wallis test showed that the three drugs showed significant difference. The nicotine and the diphenhydramine were similar, but the caffeine was significantly different. Since the worms showed above normal activity for the majority of the time in the caffeine solution and they showed no movement the majority of the time in the nicotine and diphenhydramine solutions they are considered different. Abstract To test the effect of nicotine, caffeine and diphenhydramine (antihistamine) on Lumbriculus variegatus, I created solutions for the drugs and monitored the worms activity level as well as their body movements. Due to the large amount of pollution in our water systems, Lumbriculus variegatus is a well known test subject for this. I do expect to see that the drugs will have an effect on the Lumbriculus variegatus activity levels. I proved this by taking random worms and testing them over a period of 4 weeks to see what their activity level would be in each of the solutions. By using the Kruskal-Wallis test I showed that there is significant difference of activity level between the caffeine solutions and the nicotine and diphenhydramine solutions. The caffeine solution showed above normal activity and the nicotine and diphenhydramine showed no activity. Therefore this shows that the drugs do have an effect on the Lumbriculus variegatus. Figure 3: Lumbriculus variegatus in normal clumping behavior Materials and Methods To study the L. variegatus using the drugs, I had to create solutions in which I could place the worms in to see what their behavior and body movements were. For the nicotine solution I poured the nicotine of 1 cigarette into 100 ml of de-chlorinated water. I warmed it for ten minutes to help dissolve the nicotine. I then used a strainer to have only the liquid portion. The caffeine solution contained 200mg of caffeine from and over the counter sleep preventative in 200 ml of de-chlorinated water, and heated to dissolve the tablets. The diphenhydramine solution contained 75 mg of diphenhydramine which is an antihistamine in 100 ml of de-chlorinated water and heated to dissolve the tablet. I placed four worms in each of the above solutions and monitored their activity level at 0 min, 5 min, 10 min, 15 min and 24 hours. I used the scale of 0=no activity, 1=below normal activity, 2=normal activity, 3=above normal activity, 4=extreme activity. I then placed them back into their normal water and monitored their recovery time at 5 min, 10 min, 15 min and 24 hours. I also monitored their body movements by describing them. I tested the worms six times over the course of four weeks. Figure 5: Clumping behavior in the caffeine solution Box Plots Activity Level(0=no activity, 1=below normal, 2=normal, 3=above normal, 4= extreme activity) Figure 1: Lumbriculus variegatus in a holding container Discussion and Conclusions It can be concluded that the drugs nicotine, caffeine and diphenhydramine do have an effect on Lumbriculus variegatus. During my experiments it was fascinating to see what these drugs can do to a living thing. During the experiments with the nicotine, the worms showed extreme activity then as time passed showed no activity. One would have thought that perhaps they were dead. When I observed them 24 hours later they were fully recovered which was very interesting. A very common antihistamine diphenhydramine has a deadly effect on Lumbriculus variegatus. I do believe we must watch what we use and how much we are using so we are not wasting products and polluting our water and land. This should become a great concern of the people due to the increase in population and the amount of waste we are producing. Much education must be made to help stop pollution of the water, land and air. Introduction Water contamination has become and increasing problem in almost every major city in the United States. Low level toxins can be traced to almost every water source in the world now as well. It is not just the big companies contributing to the contamination either. The excessive use and improper disposal of everyday products like prescription drugs, lawn fertilizer and gasoline are sources of contaminants found in water systems. Almost everything we dump down the drain or put on our lawn eventually ends up in our water source at some level. Lumbriculus variegatus is a freshwater oligochaete that is often used in toxicology studies and used when testing for toxins in water systems. It prefers shallow waters at the edges of ponds, lakes or marshes. It feeds mostly on decaying vegetation and microorganisms. It is a good test subject to determine if waters are being contaminated. Their normal activity consists of clumping behavior and peristaltic swimming. Abnormal activity consists of tail curling, twitching, paralysis where they are stretched out. I have chosen to use the drugs Nicotine, Caffeine and Diphenhydramine (antihistamine) to determine the effects of them on the Lumbriculus variegatus activity level. I have also made observations of their body movements as well. Kruskal - Wallis Test Literature Cited Conley, Thomas J. Cardiovascular Inquiry Using Lumbriculus variegatus, Mudworms. 1998 Drewes, C. Lumbriculus variegatus: A Biology Profile, September 2004 http://www.eeob.iastate.edu/faculty/Drewes/htdocs/LVCULT.htm Gerhardt, A., Sardo, A.M., Soares, A.M.V.M., Behavior, Growth and Reproduction of Lumbriculus variegatus in Different Sediment Types. Human and Ecological Risk Assessment, 13: 519-526. 2007 Higgins, Christopher P., Luthy, Richard G., McLeod, Pamela B., MacManus-Spencer, Laura A. Bioaccumulation of Perfluorochemicals in Sediments by the Aquatic Oligochaete Lumbriculus variegatus. Environment Science Technology 41: 4600-4606, 2007. Figure 4: Abnormal behavior of curling in a ball of L. variegatus in the diphenhydramine solution Figure 2: Left is Nicotine Solution, Middle is Caffeine Solution and Right is Diphenhydramine solution